Electrically operated valve



Dec. 31, 1945.

.1. HARDING, JR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Jb/ZYZ fiarciz'ngir. I QM Dec. 31, 1946. J. HARDING, JR2,413,622

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jaiz rzHardz'nyfl Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEELECTRECALLY OPERATED VALVE John Harding, Jr., Dallas, Tex.

Application February 14, 1944, Serial No. 522,367

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated valves.

An object of this invention is to provide a substantially balanced valvewhich is so constructed and arranged that the valve may be moved to openposition against high pressure with a small solenoid.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a valve of this type aspring-pressed latch for holding the valve in open position and asolenoid operator for moving the latch to released position.

To the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein embodiments of theinvention are shown, but it is to be understood that changes,modifications and variations may be resorted to which fall within thescope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail top plan of a solenoid valve constructed accordingto an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the valve in openposition,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, numeral iii designates generally a valvehousing formed of a body I! provided with an intake boss IQ forconnection to a source of fluid pressure supply and an outlet boss l3which, in the present instance, is in alignment with the intake bossl'i. A valve seat i4 is disposed within the body ii, the valve seatbeing of an annular configuration and formed on the upper side of avertical wall l5 adjacent the inner end of the boss l2 and having alength less than the diameter of the bore of the body H so that thefluid may pass through the opening it above the seat Hi, The seat I4 isalso carried partly by a depending wall l! which is disposed inwardly ofthe boss l3, the lower end of the wall 57! being spaced from the bottomof the body it, thereby providing a passage !8 for permitting the fluidto move from the passage I6 through the valve seat M and the passage itinto the outlet boss l3.

An upstanding cylindrical boss it extends upwardly of the body H andconcentrically of the valve seat M.

The boss I9 is formed with a 2 ii cylindrical bore 25 within which apiston-type valve member generally designated as 2! is adapted toslidingly engage. The valve member 21 includes a lower head 22 and acylindrical skirt The skirt 23 is slightly less as to its outer diameterthan the inner diameter of the cylinder 01' bore 2% thereby providing aleak joint '24 which communicates with the intake boss l2 and permitsthe cylinder 28 and the open upper side of the piston 25 to bemaintained filled with fiuid at all times.

The provision of the leak joint 24 provides for pressure of fluid on theupper side of the valve member 24 in order to maintain the valve mem ber23 in normally closed position. The head 22 oi the piston 25 is formedwith an annular groove 25 within which a ring-shaped resilient sealingmember 26 is adapted to be seated. When the valve member 3 is in closedposition, the sealing member 28 engages the seat It.

The head 22 of the valve member 2! is formed with a central opening Elthrough which the reduced inner end 23 of a valve stem 29 is adapted toextend. The head 22 on its upper side is formed with an annulardownwardly offset valve seat 3-36 within which an auxiliary or bleedervalve member 3! is adapted to loosely engage. The bleeder valve member Mhas secured thereto a resilient sealing ring 32 which is adapted toengage on the seat 38. Preferably, the outer diameter of the bleedervalve member 3! is substantially less than the diameter of the recesswithin which the valve seat 39 is formed so that there will be a space33 for passage of the fluid from the interior of the valve member 2!,past the valve member 3!, through the opening 21 and into the outletside of the valve body I! when the valve 3| is open. In order to providefor the more rapid filling of cylinder 2% and valve 2!, and the rapidemptying of both. cylinder 2!! and valve 2|, valve 2| is formed with aplurality of bleed openings 22a. In the closed position of valve 2 I,bleed openings 22a, communicate with the intake side of the valvehousing.

The reduced lower or inner end 28 of the valve stem 29 has securedthereto a plate 34 which is held on the stud 28 by means of a nut 35. Acylindrical sleeve 36 is disposed about the stud 28 and supports theplate 34 in downwardly or inwardly spaced relation with respect to themain valve head, thereby providing a lost motion with respect to thebleeder valve 3| and the main valve member 2|. She head 22 on the inneror lower side thereof is formed with a plurality of radially arrangedgrooves or channels 31 so that when the plate 313 is in contact with theinner or lower side of the head 22, the fluid may leak past the plate 34into the space below the valve member 2|.

A closure 38 is secured to the upper end of the boss |9 by fasteningmembers 39. A plate 40 is interposed between the inner or lower side ofthe closure 38 and the top of the boss I9, the latter being preferablyrabbeted as at 4| so that the closure 38 will be disposed concentric tothe center of the valve seat M. A gasket or sealing member 52 isinterposed between the plate 45 and the upper end of the boss l9. Avalve closing spring 43 is disposed within the cylinder 2|], bearing atits upper end against the inner side of the plate 40, the latter beingformed with an annular bead M for holding the spring 63 concentricallywithin the cylinder 20. The lower end of the spring 43 bears against acup-shaped plate 35 which is interposed between the upper side of thebleeder valve member 3| and the shoulder formed between the stud 28 andthe stem 29.

The stem 29 is sealed within the cylinder 26 by means of a metal bellowsG6. The bellows 45 at its upper end is soldered or otherwise firmlysecured and sealed to a downwardly extending annular flange t? formed inth center of the plate 40. The lower end of the bellows 45 is inturnedas at 18 and is interposed between the spring retaining plate 45 and theshoulder 49 formed between the stud 28 and the stem 29. The bellows 65is formed of resilient metal and in its normal unexpanded ornoncontracted position the valve member 2| will be in closed position.The spring 43 is of such resiliency as to maintain the valve member 2|against the seat M in the closed position.

The valve member 2| is adapted to be moved to an open position by meansof a solenoid operator, generally designated as 50. The operator 50includes a coil mounted in a housing 52 which is secured as by weldingor the like to the upper side of the closure 33. A movable core 53 isslidable within the coil 5| being slidably mounted in an inner sleeve 54within the coil 5|. The core 55 may be formed integral with or securedto the upper end of the valve stem 29 and is provided with asubstantially conical upper end 55. A top plate or head 56 is mounted onthe upper end of the coil 53 and has a plug 51 secured thereto or formedintegral therewith which extends interiorly of the sleeve 5:1. The plug51 at its lower end is formed with a substantially conical recess 58within which the conical head 55 of the core 53 is adapted to engagewhen the latter is moved upwardly at the time the coil 5| is energized.

A shaft 59 which is formed with a threaded stud 50 at the lower endthereof is secured to the core 53 and slidingly engages in a guide bore6! formed in the plug 5'! and through the head 55. The shaft 59 at apoint intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof is provided with anannular groove or keeper 62. A horizontally shiftable latch 63 which isslidingly carried by the head 56 is adapted, when in latched position,to

engage in the keeper or annular groove 62 so as to hold the core 53 inits uppermost position and solenoid structure 56. The solenoid structure66 includes a coil 67 having a sleeve 68 centrally thereof within whicha plug 69 is firmly secured. The plug 59 is provided with a conicalrecess in the upper end thereof as indicated at 70 and a solenoid corell is slidable in the sleeve 68 and is formed with a conical lower orinner end 12 for engagement in the conical recess 10.

A latch operating spring 73 is mounted in a central opening it formed inthe plug 69 and also in a central opening '55 formed in the core I Astem 75 is fixed to or formed integral with the core H and extends abovethe solenoid structure 66, being provided with a slot ll. A bell crankor latch shifting member 18 is rockably mounted on a pivot 19 carried bya support 89 mounted on the upper end of the solenoid structure 55. Thebell crank 18 has one arm 8i thereof engaging within the slot 71 andpreferably, a transversely disposed pin 82 extends through the slot 11for engagement with the upper edge of the arm 8| so as to pull the bellcrank 18 downwardly to latch releasing position.

The other arm 83 of the bell crank 8 is loosely mounted in a slot 8 3formed in the outer end of the latch 53. A transversely extending pinextends across the slot 84 and is adapted to bear against th outer sideof the arm 83 so that when the core ii is pulled downwardly byenergizing the coil 63, the two pins 82 and 85 will engage the adjacentedges of the bell crank 18 and pull the latch member 53 outwardly to areleased position. The stem T5 of the core H extends upwardly 'nrough anopening 85 which is formed in the top wall 64 of the housing 52 in orderthat the core 1! may be manually moved downwardly to release the latch53 and permit the valve member 2| to be moved downwardly to closingposition under the tension of the spring 43.

A pivoted closure or cap 8'! is carried by the top of the housing 52 and.icloses the projecting ends of the shaft 59 and the stem 16. In orderto provide a means whereby the solenoids 50 and 66 may be alternatelyplaced in an electric circuit for energizing thereof and so that theuser of this structure will be able to determine the position of thevalve member 2|, I have provided a latch operated switch structure,generally designated as 88.

The conductors 92 and I95 are extended from the housing 52 through acoupling member I03 which is fixed to the housing 52 adjacent thesolenoid structure 66.

In the use and operation of this valve structure, the intake boss orbushing i2 is connected to the source of fluid supply under pressure andthe outlet boss or bushing i3 is connected to the desired part receivingthe fluid. When the valve member 2| is in closed position under thetension of the spring 43, the fluid pressure in the boss or bushing l2will be against the exposed cylindrical side 23 of the valve member 2|which is exposed in the passage 55. The pressure from the intake boss orbushing M. will pass through the leak joint 24 into the interior of thevalve member 2| and the cylinder 20, thereby. tending to normally holdthe valve member 2| in closed position.

When the coil 5| is energized the core 53 will be raised against thetension of the spring 43 and when the keeper 62 is in alignment with theinner end of the latch 53, spring 73 will move the auxiliary core 1|upwardly and move the latch 63 into engagement with the keeper 62. Whenthe core 53 initially starts on its upward movement,

the bleeder valve 3| will initially be raised from the seat 30 and thespace 33 around the bleeder valve 3| is of such size that the fluidwithin the piston valve member 2| and in the cylinder 29 may flowdownwardly through the opening 21 in the center of the valve head 22 ata faster rate than the fluid enters the interior of the cylinder throughthe leak joint 24. The provision of having fluid in the interior of thevalve member 2| and of the cylinder 2|] makes it possible to cushion themovement of the valve member 2| to opening position, there being aslight lost motion until the core 53 is able to pull the valve member 2|to a fully open position.

At the time the latch 63 is moved inwardly to latching position thebridging member 95 is moved out of engagement with contacts 89 and 9G,breaking the circuit to the main coil 5| and closing the circuit to thereleasing coil 61.

When the coil 6! is momentarily energized core M will be moveddownwardly against the tension of spring 13. The latch 63 will be pulledoutwardly by rocking of bell crank 18 and then spring 43 will move thevalve member 2| downwardly to closing position. When the latch member 63is in released position, the inner end thereof is in sliding contactwith the side of the shaft or stem extension 59. At the time the valvemember 2| moves downwardly to closing position, the bleeder valve 3|first closes and the continued movement of the piston valve downwardlywill cause a partial vacuum to occur in the cylinder 2E3, therebycushioning the downward movement of the main valve 2|. This cushioningmovement of the main valve 2| to closing position eliminates anyhammering occasioned by quick closing of a valve member.

The partial vacuum generated by downward movement of the valve member 2|is relieved when the valve member 2| is in closed position by leaking ofthe fluid on the high pressure side of the valve through the leak joint24, so that the cylinder 20 and the interior of the valve member 2| willbe filled with fluid under pressure from the high pressure or inlet sideof the valve whenever the valve member 2| is in closed position. Theprovision of the resilient bellows 46 which seals the stem 29 in thevalve housing In makes it possible to use a fairly light tension spring43 for moving the valve member 2| to closed position and the use of thelight tension spring also permits the use of a low power solenoid formoving the main valve member to open position.

This solenoid valve structure has been designed particularly for use inairplanes for connecting a selectedfuel tank with the engine in orderthat the pilot may connect the desired tank with the engine bymomentarily closing an electric circuit. No electric current is requiredto hold the valve in either the open or closed position.

With a valve as herein disclosed, there is provided a structure whereinthe valve member is held in closed position by reduced pressure from theinlet side of the valve through the loose coupling between the valvemember and the cylindrical bore of the housing, and the filling of thebore with the pilot or auxiliary valve member in closed position willpositively lock the main valve member in closed position. Movement ofthe pilot or auxiliary valve member to open position breaks the fluidlock for the main valve member, and

provides for equalization of pressures on both inlet and outlet sides ofthe main valve member, so that only a light force is required to movethe main valve member to open position.

I have discovered that a pilot valve having a diameter slightly greaterthan the diameter of the effective area or closed end of the bellows,and also slightly greater than the depth of the convolutions of thebellows, will stay closed under varying pressures in the valve housing,and that a solenoid having a pulling force only slightly greater thanthe expansion force of the valve spring which, in this case, isdesignated 53 will be required to open the pilot and main valves.

The eiiective area of the pilot valve being proportionately greater thanthe effective area of the bellows, the fluid pressure in the valvehousing will normally maintain the valve closed. The dlfference betweenthese effective areas can be readily calculated into pounds pressure.The pounds pressure required to contract the valve spring being knownand there being added to this latter pressure the calculated differencebetween the pounds pressure of the effective areas of the beilows andpilot valve, the solenoid can then be calculated and constructed toprovide the necessary pull to overcome the entire pressure force.

The inside of the bellows is essentially subject to atmosphericpressures, whereas the outside of the bellows is subject to the inletpressure when the valve is closed, and the line pressure when the valveis open. these inlet/and or line pressures being greater thanatmospheric pressure. To overcome this pressure differential, the littleauxiliary valve 3| has an eiiective area slightly in excess of that ofthe eifective or flat end area of the bellows. By this means, the littlevalve 3| can be opened with a relatively light pull, or a pullsufficient to overcome this differential, plus the rating of the spring.Further, with the valve in the open position, the line pressure wouldhave a tendency to keep the bellows in its compressed condition unlessthe spring was of a sufficient rating to extend the bellows, whichhappens when the plunger is unlatched and the valve closes.

What I claim is:

1. In a valve structure, a housing, a seat in said housing, a valvemember engageable on said seat, a, spring constantly urging said membertoward said seat, and an electro-magnet operator connected to said valvemember for moving the latter to open position, said operator comprisinga solenoid coil, a core slidable in said coil, means securing said coreto said valve member, a stem extending from said core and formed with anannular groove, a latching bar slidably carried by the outer end of saidcoil and engageable in said groove for holding said core in valveopening position, a, releasing solenoid coil, a core s1idable in saidreleasing solenoid coil, and a bellcrank connection between said lattercore and said bar, and a spring constantly urging said latter coreoutwardly of said releasing solenoid coil, said latter spring alsobiasing said bell-crank and latching bar toward latching position.

2. In a valve structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latternamed core includes a slotted stem and said latching bar is slotted,said bellcrank loosely engaging in said slotted stem and the slot ofsaid bar.

JOHN HARDING, JR.

